Adjustable mop



Nov. 29, 1955 H. STEINER 2,724,851

ADJUSTABLE MOP Filed Aug. 4, 1952 INVENTOR. HE/N/iic/ STE/NER BY i TTY.

United States Patent O y2,724,351 ADJUSTABLE Mor Heinrich Steiner, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Muller- Brutsch & Co., Zurich,- Switzerland p ApplicationAugusr 4, 159152, sentirmi. 302,549 Claimspriority, application Switzerland. March 3, 1952 2 Claims. (Cla It-147) Thepresent invention relates to mopsas used for cleaning purposes and more. particularly to a hand-operated mop, the stick of which is selectively adjustable in longitudinal or transverse position with respect to an oblong mop head.

According to the invention the handle of the mop is arranged on a rotatable member, coacting with a locking device provided with a push button located eccentrically with respect to the axis of said rotatable member, which push button can bek actuated from ythe top sideofthe vinop frame, in'order to adjust the handle at choice in a longitudinal or transverse position with respect to the oblong working member.

In a comparatively simple and reliable manner a quick and convenient adjustment of the handle for the desired position thus is obtained. Still further and also more detailed objects will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the mop with the stick positioned in longitudinal direction of the working member,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IIII of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view from below of the holding frame of the mop,

Fig. 4 is, on an enlarged scale, a cross-sectional View taken on line IV--IV of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top View of the implement with the stick, however in transverse position with respect to the working member.

The illustrated cleaning implement has an oblong holding frame 1 of wire, forming a closed loop with tapered ends. The two longitudinal parallel wire sections 1a of the holding frame 1 are rigidly united in their median portion by a bridge 2, consisting of a sheet metal piece which engages the said two sections 1a by means of the bent-over edges 2a. Two upright lateral walls 3 facing each other are rigidly connected with the said two bentover edges 2a, said walls 3 being provided on their top with a recess 3a. In the middle between the two lateral walls 3, a repeatedly stepped bearing pin 4 for the turn disk 5 is provided in the bridge 2, which disk 5 by means of an abutment washer 6 is held against the top side of the bridge 2. An oblong locking or holding plate 7 is located on the bottom side of the bridge 2, which plate 7 on one end by means of a tongue 7a bent at right angles protrudes a slot 2b (Fig. 4) provided in the bridge 2, whereby a pivoting position is imparted to the locking plate 7. The other end of the locking plate 7 is rigidly connected with a button 8 accessible from the top side of the bridge 2, said button 8 traversing an opening provided in the bridge 2. A compression spring 9 bears on the bridge 2 and acts on the button 8; this spring tends to press the locking plate 7 against the reverse side of the bridge 2 so that cam pins 7b fastened on the locking plate 7 remain in engagement with corresponding openings or sockets of the turn disk 5, whereby the latter is secured against rotation. Four cam pins 7b, spaced at Cit Z ,724,85 Patented" bv. 2.9-, T9135 ice rig-ht angles from each other, are provided on the locking plate 7 and correspondingly also four openings 14y are presentY on the turn disk 5. The woodenhandle 10 serves for. operatingv the cleaning. implement. The handle 1'0 has on its operating end a ferrule 11 and also two connecting arrnsy 12 consisting of' spring` wire and .provided with bent-oid:` end parts 12a, which mesh with openings provided on two upright rim portions Sul of the turn disk 5'; the two resilient connecting arms 12- divergein direcltion towards the turn disk 5. The arm portions 12`a form Vpivoting journals engaged the rim portions 521, for rocking movement of the yhandle 10. 'A

The oblong frame 1 servessiinultaneously as y holding part for the mop head. This latter comprises a covering 13 of cloth or the like of a shape correspondingto the oblong frame 1. The portion Lvof the covering 13 located on the top side ofthe oblong frame 1` is provided-with a longitudinal recess 13a, which enables-the attachment of the covering 13 to' the frame I and provides: an opening thecovering in the zone of the connectingk arms 124 of the handle 10; the edges of the recess 13a maybe drawn together by means of tapes 13b for thevv purpose: ofn secur ing the covering 13 on' the frame 1. The portion ofthe covering 13 located on the underside of the frame l1, carries densely arranged woolen tufts or's't'rands 13b so 'that the cleaning implement represents awell known inp.

The operation of the described implement is as follows:

According to Figs. 1 and 2 the handle 10 occupies a position corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the oblong frame 1 and consequently of the oblong mop head, forming with the latter a relatively small acute angle, the handle 10 resting with the connecting arms 12 upon the button 8. In this condition the mop head of the implement can be passed underneath furniture and the like without any difculty; the handle 10 may be lowered still further by pressing it with suiiicient force downwards so that the resilient connecting arms 12 laterally engage the button 8, whereupon the operating member of the implement can reach still further underneath of furniture and the like, as is readily understandable. In order to bring the handle 10 in a position in which it may be swung transversely with respect to the holding frame 1 and to the mop head, the handle 10 is swung so far towards upright position, that the button 8 on the frame is freely accessible from the top. The operator then presses the button 8 downwards by means of the foot against the action of spring 9, so far that the locking cam pins 7b on the locking plate 7 disengage from the openings of the turn disk 5. Thereupon the disk 5 is turned through by means of the handle 10 and by releasing the button 8 the mentioned cam pins 7b snap into the registering openings 14 on the disk 5. The disk S is now locked on the holding frame 1 in the new position, in which the handle may be swung on its hinge axis 12a transversely to the frame 1 and in its lowermost angular position rests on one of the two lateral walls 3. This inclined position, which the stick 10 occupies transverse to the longitudinal direction of the holding frame 1 is so adjusted that the operator when standing upright may conveniently wipe floor areas with the mop. Based on these explanations it will be readily understandable, how the handle 10, by making use of the button 8 on the holding frame 1, may be adjusted again into the re1- ative position shown in Fig. 1.

It is evident, that an operating member differing from the kind shown in the described embodiment may also be provided and it is further understood, that some of the details set forth may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A hand-operated dry mop comprising a holding u* frame for an oblong mop head, a handle rotatable for the purpose of adjusting it in longitudinal or transverse position with reference to said oblong mop head, a rotatable member having recesses and being connected with said handle by means of resilient connecting arms, said member rotatably mounted on one side of the holding frame, a locking device coacting with said rotatable member, a push button located on said locking device and positioned eccentrically to the axis of said rotatable member and serving as an abutment for said connecting arms when said handle extends longitudinally of said mop head, said locking device also including recess-engaging cam pins provided on a plate located on the opposite side of the holding frame from said rotatable member and having oneend pivotally mounted on the frame, and its other end connected with the push button, said cam pins engaging with the recesses of said rotatable member and being operable by said push button to release said rotatable member by disengaging said pins from said recesses for adjusting the handle into longitudinal or transverse position with respect to the oblong mop head.

2. In an adjustable mop having an elongated mop head holding frame with a handle hingedly connected with a disk rotatably mounted on one face thereof and holding means on said frame and cooperative with said disk for selectedly retaining said disk in a selected angular position relative to said frame, the improvement in which said holding means comprises a holding member on said frame and engageable with said disk to retain said disk in selected angular position, and push means on said frame and connected with said holding member and operable for releasing said holding member from said disk to permit turning said disk about its axis of rotation on said frame, said holding member comprising a plate movably mounted on said frame, cam pins on said plate engageable Within sockets in said disk, said plate being disposed on the face of said frame opposite said one face and pivotally mounted at one end on said frame, said push means comprising a push element on the other end of said plate and extending beyond said one face of said frame, spring means between said frame and push element and biasing said element in one direction to lift said plate and engage said pins in said sockets, said handle being connected to said rotatable disk by resilient arms which are engageable with the push button when the handle is located in a position to swing in a longitudinal plane with respect to the frame, and two oppositely disposed upstanding side walls on said frame, each of said side walls being recessed to receive said resilient arms when the handle is swung to a lateral position and brace the frame against turning or tilting.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 1,550,845 Rickards Aug. 25, 1925 1,909,713 Parsons May 16, 1933 1,989,825 Schaefer Feb. 5, 1935 2,589,971 Fatland Mar. 11, 1952 2,679,062 Braun May 25, 1954 

